http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/indvaus2008/content/current/story/372830.html

Silly me–to think that this blog is a forum and not a one on one chat room.

We ALL are indi-bloody-viduals and I am not defending or protecting any body. I am not seeking any immunity–merely pointed out a misinterpretation on your part. Why is it that only the greats deserve dignity and not the mere mortals who desire to contribute to your blog?

I must live in a different era, not to realise that a smiley erases all condescending remarks!! Just joking! I didn’t mean that way! Don’t mistake me! I didn’t mean to come out like that! Did I say that! Did you hear what he just said!

Just like the apologies we get from sport stars and officials–” I regret whatever my comment MAY have caused”. There were a couple of these pearls today, from Rugby League officials in relation to their comments last week, about the judiciary. . And from a disgraced leggie and an AFL player in the past couple of years. Just like beauty is in the eye of the beholder, stirring is in the minds of the recipient!

I simply pointed out that your take on the inclusion of Robin Singh , alongside Gavaskar, Azhar and Kapil, needed an explanation–with facts.

I bet it is not the first time a contributor to I3J3 has expressed a view with a poetic or journalistc licence to exaggerate–to get the point across. And this must include the co-founders of the blog.

I suppose , SENIORS is a more politically acceptable term in cricketing circles.

However, I am not sure about the validity of your base assumptions in the reality of Indian Organisations in general and Indian Cricket in particular.

There is nothing that the BCCI has said or done that would lead me to believe that they share a vision like the one you have laid out. Their actions have been characterised by ego, oppoturnism, self interest, nepotism with an occasional sprinkling of national interest.

On a less dismal note, I do believe that the BCCI has become fractionally less personality oriented in the last 5 -6 years. Hopefully that trend will accelerate. While Ganguly was a major contributor to Indian cricket in terms of the team’s attitude, he strenthened the pro-personality forces, which unsurprisingly eventually came back to haunt him

Hopefully, the next leader(s) Kumble, Dhoni et al not only strengthen the team’s playing cause but also take away from the personality bandwagon.

Moreover, are you suggesting that someone who takes a random swipe at five great players by saying “Let these geriatrics have their days in the sun by having their wheelchairs pushed around the boundaries of their respective home grounds by their children or grandkids”, needs to be protected from a swipe taken at them by a fan of these five greats? My view is that if one can’t have dignity in comment, why should one seek protection when it comes back the other way? I am not saying that Andrew Kumar sought immunity/protection, but am amazed that Sam Kumar seems to have implicitly requested it.

Let Andrew Kumar stand up for himself. I am happy to have any sorts of debates with him! I don’t think it would be right for you to interpret what he said/wrote. In any case, I suppose you missed the smileys in my post. Or is it the case that you have cornered global rights on stirring? Note that there are no smileys in this post!

Be that as it may, I think my comment to Andrew Kumar re: Sunil Gavaskar was justified. Happy to defend that any day.

Kapil’s bowling average was 23.45 and batting average 23.79